The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-07-15

see here, let me tell you some
thing > and here his voice sank s.
low as to be almost in distinguish
able, Up in the peninsula of Micn
Igan, 10 place surrounded FOR miles
with rocks and timber, there lives 6
man SO old that nobody can CUES
his age. He has surely lived more
than 100 years. He is entirely alone
ana no one. so far as the world
knows. has ever visited him. Once
a year he appears at Some point.
purchases some supplies, and then
dIsaprears. What he buys be pays
for In gold pieces-always $50
pieces, bright and new, just like one
of these aud he pulled a handful OF
double eagles from the pocket of his
trousers.
'Are these made by him?' | asked
Every one of them,' he replied, as
he tossed handful of them into the
sunshine, Lifting them fall IN q
shlmmerlng cascade, whose golden
waters mingled with the green grass
Why that is counterfeiting isn't
it?'
mo, sir ! There is no difference
between these and those coined BY
the EOyernme4t. If they are exact
ly the came, who is defrauiBd by
their circulation? No cne.'
| still expressed some douhts as
to their being 50 like the government
coinage that the difference, if any,
could not be detected.
wait till tomorrow and | will
convince you > was tile answer.
V.
The next day he purchased tickets
| for Battle Creek and we went to the
place On the first train. We first
went into shoe stUTc, whcte he
purchased pair OF SD 0es, ard in
payment threw down q double eagle.
The proprietor took it and gave him
the proper change without any est
alton. He may not Ue n j4dge Of
coin,' | SAID after we lift the store.
well, let us try some one that is
an expert We entered a hank and
he threw several of tie pieces on the
counter and said:
please Give ne change for one Of
these and be good CROUCH to e>-
anime them closely as have reason
to suspect they may be bogus
The banker weighed them and
then applied an acid test. They
are ali right le said, and if you
are afraid of them | will take all
you have off your hands and give
you currency In their place
NO, thank you. / only wished to
be satisfied they are goo J.
was astoni7hed aud convinced
that tie money Has as good as the
genuine.
Aud now new phase In the con-
duct of NY assotiate was developed.
At first he began to enlarge on the
splendors Of career with lliinita' lie
wealth at ones command. And
then he advonced a step, and sug
gested that we should obtain some OF
this gold, and tnen go our way
through the world rejoicing. lie
was in a position to obtain all that
we required al a mere song. | had
told him Otout the panorama vtn>
ture, and lie proposed that we should
redeem it. purchase wagon and
horses and 60 through the country,
ostcnsibly giving panoramic exhibi~
tlvns, but in reality distributing the
coin
Il tell YOU he said, L know how
we cen carry ell the gold we want
We will tore full of holes the bar
that crosses under the box and fill
tie holes with $50 pieces. Nobody
would ever think of looking for 1t in
any such place
Thus did he ply me for several
DAYS. listened to him with live
ly curiosity. HIS plan seemed safe,
feasible, and certain to be produces
tive Of unlimited wealth, Often IN
looking back at this period of my life
| wonder that [ did not yield to his
glittering promises. / was entirely
alone. | Lad failed 3isastrously in
business, and saw no hope in the
gloomy future. ] was in that con
dition when | cared for nobody and
nobody seemed to care for me. For
some reason, however, | never
reached the conseEting point. | was
interested and delighted, and with~
out any conscientious scruples heard
him discuss measures for placing his
gold on the public which | knew,
Whatever the assertions of the
tempter and other evidence to De
counterfeit.
Onn rnnrninu hp Was mIssinT and